LORIUM. - An ancient diocese established on an imperial villa at the twelfth mile of the Via Aurelia, later called Castel di Guido. Within its bounds a basilica was also built over the tomb of Saints Rufina and Seconda by Giulio I; renewed by Adriano I (Lib. Pont., I, p. 508) and enriched by Leone IV (ibid., II, p. 122), it was later destroyed by the Saracen incursions of 847 and 876.
Near it, restored by Sergio III in 906 and fortified with walls and a moat by Bishop Pietro under Benedetto IX, the suburbicarian bishops of L. established their seat. The first historically certain one is Petrus Lorensis, who took part in the Synod of 487, although the local Christian remains may date back to the fourth and even the third century (Nuovo bull. d'arch. crist., 17 [1911], p. 109). In 501 the bishop of L., from the place of martyrdom of the aforesaid Saints, styled himself « episcopus ecclesiae Silvae Candidae » and also « episcopus S. Rufinae ». In November 1037 Benedetto IX appointed the bishops of Selva Candida chancellors of the Holy Roman Church, and among them the cardinals Umberto and Mainardo distinguished themselves. Because of depopulation, Callisto II in 1120 united the diocese of PORTA (v.).
(1892), p. 484; P. F. Kehr, Italia Pontificia. II, Berlino 1907, p. 24 ff.; G. Tomasetti, La campagna romana, II, Roma 1911, pp. 464 and 487; Lanzoni, I, pp. 506-509. Alberto Galieu